In the 2015-2016 election cycle, the Purple to Blue program has already elected champions to Virginia’s legislature and helped flip control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. This November, in addition to Colorado, the Purple to Blue program is focused on the battle for state legislatures in Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Washington State.

The eight candidates being endorsed today in Colorado are:

Emily Tracy - (CO Senate -- District #8)

Jenise May - (CO Senate -- District #25)

Daniel Kagan - (CO Senate -- District #26)

Tom Sullivan - (CO Senate -- District #27)

Chris Kennedy - (CO House -- District #23)

Joe Salazar - (CO House -- District # 31)

Mike Weissman - (CO House -- District #36)

Barbara McLachlan - (CO House -- District #59)

Statement from DFA chair, Jim Dean, on the importance of holding the Colorado state House and flipping the Colorado state Senate:

“Since they gained control of the Colorado Senate in 2010, Republicans have tried to privatize public lands, roll back gun safety regulations, attack women’s reproductive rights, and regularly prevented critical legislation from reaching the Governor’s desk.

“Democrats are just one seat away from regaining control of the Colorado state Senate and ensuring that both houses of Colorado’s state legislature are committed to fighting for progressive policies and ideas.

“The candidates we’re endorsing today in Colorado are vital, not just to ensuring that Colorado’s state legislature is lead by Democrats, but also to ensuring that the political revolution that millions of people are seeking across the country has the chance to flourish in the Centennial State.” --- Jim Dean, Chairman of Democracy for America

The 2016 election is poised to be instrumental in determining control of both the Colorado State House and Senate. Races in May’s (SD-25) and Sullivan’s (SD-27) Senate Districts are particularly important because they would deliver seats to Democrats that are currently held by Republicans. The races in Salazar’s (HD-31), Weissman’s (HD-36), and McLachlan’s (HD-59) House Districts will ensure Democrats maintain their three seat advantage in the House.

Key facts about Democracy for America and its work in Colorado:

DFA’s Purple to Blue project was kicked off in 2013 and this year has focused on winning State House and Senate in states including Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Washington.

DFA has also endorsed House candidate, Morgan Carroll in Colorado

DFA has over 56,000 members in Colorado and 1 million members nationwide

Since DFA's 2004 founding by Gov. Howard Dean, DFA members have injected more than $32.7 million and made more than 10.1 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 806 progressive candidates across the country.

Billionaire activist Tom Steyer also told The Bee earlier this month that his advocacy group, NextGen America, was now considering intervening in some of California’s crowded congressional races if they determine it could help prevent two Republicans from advancing to the general election. Steyer’s group is planning to pour $3.5 million into voter outreach in the state in 2018, targeted at millennial voters. Groups like EMILY’s List and Democracy for America also plan to support their endorsed candidates in several of the seven Republican-held districts.